1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to image processing for biomedical applications. More particularly, this application relates to improving workflow efficiencies in reading medical image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fields of medical imaging and radiology, various techniques may be employed for creating images of an anatomical region of the human body. For example, in mammography, the breast is often imaged at two fixed angles using x-rays. Physicians may review two-dimensional (2D) or planar x-ray images of the anatomical region to uncover and diagnose disease-like conditions, such as breast cancer.
Numerous medical imaging procedures now employ systems and techniques that create three-dimensional (3D) or volumetric imagery of the human body. For example, significant attention has been given to tomographic imaging techniques. One such example is digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a relatively new imaging procedure in which systems image a breast by moving a source and exposing the breast to radiation from a plurality of angles, thus acquiring high resolution, planar images (i.e., “direct projections”) at different angles. For example, a DBT system may acquire 10 direct projection images in which the source moves in such a way as to change the imaging angle by a total angle of 40 degrees.
3D medical images enable physicians to visualize important structures in greater detail than available with 2D medical images. However, the substantial amount of image data produced by 3D medical imaging procedures presents a challenge. In mammography, for example, a physician may review two images of a breast: a cranial-caudal (CC) image and a medial-lateral oblique (MLO) image. In DBT, the physician may review approximately 50-70 images, which could include the original projection images and reconstructed images.
Several techniques for improving the speed of diagnostic assessment are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,630,533, entitled BREAST TOMOSYNTHESIS WITH DISPLAY OF HIGHLIGHTED SUSPECTED CALCIFICATIONS; U.S. Pat. No. 8,044,972, entitled SYNCHRONIZED VIEWING OF TOMOSYNTHESIS AND/OR MAMMOGRAMS; U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,386, entitled CAD-BASED NAVIGATION OF VIEWS OF MEDICAL IMAGE DATA STACKS OR VOLUMES; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,155,421, entitled MATCHING GEOMETRY GENERATION AND DISPLAY OF MAMMOGRAMS AND TOMOSYNTHESIS IMAGES, the teachings of which patents are incorporated herein by reference as useful background information. However, solutions are desired that would further improve the speed of diagnosis without sacrificing the detail provided by 3D medical imaging technology.